Rooftop Farm in Brussels: Europe's largest rooftop farm opens in Brussels

World
Europe

02:18

Europe's largest rooftop farm is now operating in the heart of Brussels, producing both vegetables and fish. The farm serves two purposes—to turn a profit and be a model for how cities can sustainably feed their growing populations. Our Europe Correspondent Kevin Ozebek gives us a tour.

It's a four thousand square meter farm nestled among the tiled rooftops of Brussels. Sitting on top of this food hall—tomatoes are grown in greenhouses and peas are planted outside. But the location isn't just what makes this farm unique.

KEVIN OZEBEK BRUSSELS "You pour the old fish water over the peas?"

NOEIME BENOIT URBAN FARMER "We water everyday with fish water."

Also on this rooftop are huge barrels with striped bass swimming inside. Every year this farm will produce 35 tonnes of fish. But before they're destined for someone's dinner table—they serve another purpose.

KEVIN OZEBEK BRUSSELS "This farm has been engineered to be as efficient as possible. Rain water is collected and used to fill up the massive tubs the fish are raised. And then once that water is soiled and dirty with the fish waste, that waste is removed and used as fertilizer for the plants."

The nitrates in the fish waste nourish the produce. The linking of fish and vegetable growing is called aquaponics. Here you see it on a large scale.

"The water comes from here through a pump on top."

But across the city Pierre Leger shows us how it can be scaled down. He runs this urban garden that produces vegetables and herbs for a café all which is fertilized from the koi inside the greenhouse. Pierre says all urban apartment dwellers can have an aquaponics setup.

PIERRE LEGER URBAN FARMER "It's possible to do just small systems like aquariums, little ones, with just a plant of basil."

KEVIN OZEBEK BRUSSELS "Is this the future of urban farming, merging a fish component with a vegetable component?"

NOEIME BENOIT URBAN FARMER "I think urban farming in itself is a very important tool towards sustainable agriculture and a food system. You have a lot of different solutions in urban farming. This is one of them."

But for now this one may be the most unique—as fish and veg grow with a great view of the city. Kevin Ozebek, CGTN, Brussels.